Josh Blake, Surrey’s hero against Yorkshire, is quitting the Kia Oval.

Less than a week after edging his county to a nerve-tingling one-wicket victory over Yorkshire which pushed them away from the Rothesay County Championship Division One drop zone, Blake’s expected departure was confirmed.

The 27-year-old has signed for Leicestershire, who are likely to be relegated to Division Two at the end of the season – although they could yet send Surrey down instead.

He will depart on the best of terms, Surrey’s director of cricket Alec Stewart explaining: “Josh is a shining example for every cricketer out there that hard work, commitment, and dedication can earn you a route into the pro game.

“He’s earned the chance that he’s had here at Surrey but it makes sense for him to take the opportunity to play regular first-team cricket in all formats.

“I want to thank Josh for his time at the club and wish him the very best for the future.”

Blake joined Surrey four years ago but his opportunities have been limited by the strength of a squad which won three successive Championship titles from 2022 to 2024 and were runners-up 12 months ago.

The grit and patience he showed by making an unbeaten 43 which saw off Yorkshire in a low-scoring match, batting for more than four hours in difficult conditions, were another advertisement for a player who had to fight desperately hard to achieve his ambition to be a professional cricketer.

Several counties were interested in acquiring his services and at Grace Road from next year he should get the opportunities to show off not only his batting skills but glovemanship behind the stumps as well.

At Surrey he has been behind Ben Foakes – still regarded by many as the best wicketkeeper in the world – plus the likes of fellow Sutton graduate Jamie Smith, Ollie Pope and Rory Burns.

When Surrey took on Sussex at Hove last week, it was Blake who had to stand down when Pope arrived after being released from England’s Test squad at Edgbaston.

“It’s been an honour to represent my boyhood club for the past four years,” he said.

“I’m hugely grateful to everyone at Surrey for giving me the opportunity to play professional cricket and prove myself in the county game.

“I never gave up my dream of making a career out of playing the game. While it’s difficult to move on from the county which I first represented as a nine-year-old, I believe this is the best opportunity to continue to progress my career and develop as a cricketer.”

The 13 points Surrey gained drawing with Sussex kept them in sixth place although still not safe going into the final two matches of the campaign, Glamorgan (seventh) playing at the Kia Oval this week before a trip to title-challenging Somerset at Taunton from next Thursday.

After rain wiped out the opening day at Hove, Sussex were led to 393 all out by Charlie Tear (89) and John Simpson (61), leg-spinner Rahul Chahar taking four for 97.

Half-centuries from Ryan Patel (55), Foakes (54) and Mahipal Lomror (58) ensured Surrey replied with 321, the first time in five games they had earned any batting points. Sussex made 167 for three declared in their second innings before time ran out.

By Richard Spiller